Kotarō Saiga
Kotarō Saiga (歳佳 狐太郎, Saiga Kotarō) is a vagabond who currently has no place place amongst his former . He was born as an heir to the Saiga Clan; a dying clan whose nobility was tarnished due to the plots contrived by a single man. Seen as nothing more than a tool to be used by his clan’s elders, Kotarō’s life was spent being bred for the sole purpose of once again reviving the Saiga’s reputation; of course, Kotarō knew the endeavour was futile. Nevertheless, he spent all of his time - when not training - in isolation, eventually building a strong relationship with the only individual to ever rid him of his loneliness: his . His skills would eventually flourish to the point where he was selected as one of the few Onmitsukidō members under the direct supervision of , and was thus appointed as one of the guards for the new following ’s betrayal. Following the events of the , Kotarō was assigned as an operative acting under the special directives of Suì-Fēng. His first mission was to scout out with a small squadron of in order to ascertain that all of Sōsuke Aizen’s had been annihilated. However, on their mission, his squadron was unexpectedly attacked by a platoon of members lead by the ’s leader, . While fighting a long and valiant battle, Kotarō and his party were killed by their mysterious powers. Unexpectedly, Kotarō’s soul was brought back from the brink of disintegration through the efforts of his Zanpakutō, who merged with Kotarō’s soul in order to save him. As of now, the instability of the spiritual dimensions due to the war with the leaves Kotarō stranded within the endless desert, with every day a struggle for survival as he continues to feed off of the that slowly corrupt his , bidding to survive and return to whatever home he might have left. Appearance Kotarō boasts a rather odd appearance, even among the individuals of his clan, likely due to the occult that was used upon him at a young age for spiritual empowerment. This is made prevalent through his hair color, which is a striking silver, in contrast with the rather mild brown colors that the rest of his clan appear to adopt. He fashions it in a simple manner, leaving it to part in the right with some locks coming down to his striking maroon eyes. To add to his almost ghost-like appearance, Kotarō boasts rather pale skin as a result of being masked quite frequently, to the point where it appears rather unhealthy. This naturally enhances his ordinary facial features quite prominently, including giving him a sharp-looking nose, thin lips, an angular jawline and a deep scar running from his left eye to his ear, though his young looks make them appear almost child-like. Nevertheless, Kotarō boasts of a naturally enhanced build due to the physical training required for his duties as part of the Onmitsukidō despite his standard physical stature in terms of his height. Kotarō's attire varies upon his duties. While acting as a member of the Patrol Corps — his standard occupation — Kotarō wears a form-fitting variant of the staple Shihakushō (死覇装, Garment of Dead Souls): a white, sleeveless (下着, under clothing), a black, sleeveless (小袖, small sleeve), a modified black (袴), white , white (足袋, foot pouch) and associated (草鞋). Above the majority of his attire, Kotarō wears a modified black haori that is kept zipped up and travels down to his knees. However, when undergoing missions as a part of the Execution Corps, his attire changes quite radically. His overall appearance resembles that of a ninja while acting on the behalf of the faction, as made apparent by the headpiece that covers his face and hair, long and tight bands across the legs and arms in order to ensure that silence of movement remains with the loose-fitting long-sleeved kosode and hakama he wears for maneuverability. , feigning annoyance at having to do work.]] While the opportunity is rare, when Kotarō is assigned to the human world, he ensures that the Gigai (義骸, Faux Body) he possesses is one that enables him to keep his profile low. As a result, the attire that he adopts while in this form is that of a simple chore-boy, having been adopted by a restaurant owner ever since a certain incident. While playing the part, Kotarō has a rather simple set of clothing. A white dress shirt, the sleeves of which are long despite Kotarō regularly folding them, black dress pants fastened by a silver-buckled belt, black leather dress shoes and when engaging in his chores, a simple black apron over the top of this. Notably, while in his Gigai, Kotarō's scar isn't visible to the common populace, his hair becomes a much more mellow brown and his eyes also turn into a deep brown rather than their standard maroon color. Nevertheless, the manner in which the family treats him has lead him to become a bit more casual around their presence, wearing lighter polo shirts, jeans and sneakers rather than his standard, stiff choice of clothing. Personality Kotarō is viewed by others primarily as an individual that lacks the most important trait to become one: individuality. Despite being born into a clan of relative repute as its heir, the young Shinigami has always experienced isolation and a lacking of the experiences and feelings that define an individual. At best, he could be compared to a doll... History Synopsis Equipment Anken (暗剣, Dark Blades): Anken are small swords of various sizes up until a — though commonly only found in -like proportions — concealed within the user's clothing and are used primarily as projectile weapons above all else. While currently the weapons are almost redundant due to Kotarō's fusion with Hasshiki, he often uses Anken to disable his enemies in some fashion before killing them with his Zanpakutō. In addition to combative effects, Kotarō also employs them as effective signposts in case he is in unfamiliar territory. Ansen (暗線, Dark Wire): Ansen, in a similar vein to Anken, are concealable wires that are used within combat as a supplementary use. Kotarō often uses these in order to set up various traps of small scales. Across the wires, there are several spiritual metal segments which can be used to integrate Kidō spells within them in order to enhance the potency of his traps. More often than not, Kotarō utilizes destructive spells in order to create smokescreens of various kinds before restraining them with alternative binding spells or killing his enemies outright. Powers and Abilities Zankensoki Zanjutsu Master Kotarō, as an individual who has consistently been told to strive for perfection as a , possesses extraordinary skill in the Shinigami's signature art, . While his technical prowess in is nothing to scoff at, what truly defines Kotarō from the rest of his former peers would be the depth of his connection with his zanpakutō. By virtue of his unconventional — and complete — fusion with his Zanpakutō's soul, the two parts that normally define an average Shinigami's soul have become a single entity. In other words, there is a natural synchronization between himself and Hasshiki that allows him to consistently fight as, not only one, but two entities. Truly, Kotarō's Zanjutsu is not only formidable in battle, but also a reflection of the camaraderie between himself and Hasshiki. General Swordsmanship Prowess: Tsurugi no Karada (剣の体, Body of Swords): Zanpakutō Trivia *Kotarō's first name is, quite obviously, derived from of the . *Kotarō's appearance is based off Togusa no Kandakara or, more accurately, Yatsuka no Tsurugi from the manga series, . *According to the author: :*Kotarō's theme song is Sōkyū no Hikari, the opening for . The english lyrics may be found here. :*Kotarō's battle theme song is "Exist" by Nano, the second opening for the anime . The english lyrics may be found in the video link. Quotes *(Kotarō's catchphrase) "This is my victory." (これわ僕の勝ち, Kore wa Boku no Kachi) Creation and Conception Kotarō, as made evident by his images, is a complete rework of Ryū Aramaki, the user's former "main protagonist" in the sense of the word. The author decided to go with this rendition after being inspired strongly by Minerva Orlando from the series. As demonstrated by "his" motivations, Kotarō has the potential to go in virtually any direction dependent on how the author roleplays with him and develops his personal story. Furthermore, the author also deviated away from the skill-set Ryū is most known for, instead highlighting his prominence in Zanjutsu in order to tie in better with a new background and personality devised for him. Temporary Gallery RyuuSpeed.png KotarouTegatana.png GinKouAgileFight.jpg RyuuInsanity.jpg Category:Male Category:Onmitsukidō Category:Saiga Clan Category:Hohō Masters Category:Zanjutsu Masters Category:Hakuda Experts Category:Kidō Experts